I am also not sure JVG is the right coach for the team. JVG only trusts veteran players. He is not that patient and he won't develop players for the sack of it. Boki never got a chance to learn new things, he might end up being a bust as a self-fulfilling process. I guarantee you if Nowitzki plays under JVG from his first year, he will be traded or be put on the bench forever. As for the softness of Yao, JVG or Ewing need to teach exactly step by step what moves he should make under certain situation. Aggressive or not is about techniques as much as attitude. If Yao is not taught the right techniques to be aggressive, he will be a foul machine. For example, JVG said Yao needed to use his elbow, hello, how should Yao use it, under what situation, be more specific, with what movement to use the elbow? where to hit it? how do you hide it so that referees won't see it? These are professional tricks that JVG or Ewing need to teach. It is like if you want to learn boxing, your boxing teacher tells you just fight, be aggressive without teaching you how to do it. You will always end up being knocked out. A good boxing teacher will teach you what to do under certain situation, he will teach you the techniques. Eventually you can become a good boxer.
people are beginning to complain he's too slow perhaps too much weights and not enough speed work? an over-emphasis on his weight and playing hard which are two completely different things.
The problem is that Yao seldomly has the stamina to take 20 shots. When he is fresh, like the first 5 minutes of the Detroit game, he is unstoppable. However only plays like that for 5 to 10 minutes at a time. I do agree that he is not responding to JVG very well. He is afraid of getting yelled at so he doesn't try anything that is risky. Either Yao will get pissed and just explode on JVG and the rest of the NBA or he will permenantly lose his confidence and become a bigger, stronger version of the stationary Dutchman. It looks to be the latter considering how he has responded so far to JVG and Larry Smith.
Oh Please! Give me a freaking break! Rik Smits? Why not go all the way to Shawn Bradley, Manute Bol, or LaRue Martin. You should really go through the "'Experts' Hall of Shame" quoted below. Rik Smits averaged 14.8 points and 6.1 rebounds in his career, Yao averaged 13.5/8.2 first season and 15.9/9.0 this season. From stats alone Yao is going to average much higher in his career. When did Smits ever attracted double-teaming? Or has any post moves? Or the defensive presence to alter opponent's shots? I don't believe how many ******* haters are in this forum. Rockets lost a game. Big deal. Yao only got 4 points. Big ******* Deal. If you don't like the team/players, go somewhere else!
there is certainly a pile of evidence in childrens sport but actually more in elite sport including a bunch of work done with athletes at the sydney olympics that is not saying both. that is not to say if someone is doing something wrong you don't correct it, but focusing on negatives doesn't work. got to hope they have not become afraid to make mistakes the thinking too much stuff is possible and i certainly think this applies to Steve (although is suspect this more to do with his mental capacity), not sure whether this the case with Yao as i differ from you that his performance this year is declined from last year. for me Yao has played about 110 games in the NBA which is about a million levels above the league he was playing in previously and he is going to have his ups and downs, but he has certainly had more flashes of power and brilliance this year than last and as long as they keep increasing then he is heading in the right direction.
I think Rockets have to put thier foot down and not let him play in China except for maybe the olympics and stuff like that. He always looks fatigued, and its because he has been playing flatout for over a year with pretty much no rest
I have enough confidence in Yao to say that I don't think he's the next coming of Kwame Brown. A total mental breakdown doesn't look its in the offing. However, Yao turning into another coming of Rik Smits... this might be possible. JVG wants our Rox to be meaner and Yao, by nature, may not be that kind of player. Call it a physchological war, but right now, Yao, despite his offensive prowess DOES NOT STRIKE FEAR into the eyes of opponents. JVG believes that Yao has the skills to be that juggernaut and I do too. The only problem is that Yao doesn't seem want to be an intimidating force. The man is ALREADY a force but he's just not that intimidating, at least not on the offensive end. If Yao really wants to do well for Houston, he needs to have the courage to say NO to the Chinese gov't. But right now, he doesn't even have the confidence to say NO to his fellow teammates. The day Yao develops some backbone and realizes that he can STILL be humble but assertive too, is the day he realizes what it takes to be a champion. It's all mental, IMHO. theSAGE
If I were JVG, I'd like to force Yao take 10+ shots in 4th and let him learn to 'take risks'. Rockets are losing anyway. It wouldn't hurt the team more.
If you guys have ever been to Toyota center games and saw the fans there, you understand me when I say that attendance would drop to 500 if Yao were traded for anyone except Lebron James. This city hates every last person on this team except for Yao and maybe the white guys on the team. I'm not kidding. No one cheers for Cat or Steve or anyone else.
Besides the rest, I think the biggest thing that Yao needs to really accelerate his development is to play for a non-playoff team. Like last year, because the Rockets expect to make the playoffs, they go away from Yao down the stretch (either benching him or handing the ball to Steve). He's missing out on crucial opportunities to figure out how to play the NBA game. That experience can't be replicated in practice. You've got to play real minutes and have the ball in your hands when it matters, even if it means making mistakes until you figure out a way to fix them. And let's not forget all the earlier talk about Yao's touches. He really needs the ball in his hands on at least 65% of the offensive possessions. He also needs to stop setting useless high screens that don't yield rolls for him. But none of this is going to happen on this Rockets team. Heck, if I were the GM, I'd try my best to trade BOTH Yao and Steve for LeBron.
For once I'd also like to see Yao initiate contact instead of getting an initiation by his defender. Yao can bump and bump like Shaq on the offensive end to keep people honest. Yet he doesn't do it b/c he's timid. When Yao is deep in the post, he doesn't need to dribble. He needs to stand taller and act faster. When Yao is far from the basket, he can put the ball on the floor and work his way back. Right now, Yao just isn't finding a comfort zone down low. When he's that deep in the post, he should be able to just spin or straddle to the basket and put it in. NO FEAR!!!!! Let Yao get stuffed a couple of times to learn. Sooner or later he will discover, much like last year, what he can and can't get away with. I think he'll surprise himself that he can bust through defenders with hands on the ball, just to jam it home. But he's got to take it stronger to the hoop. Two hands. Big Jump. No Fear!!!!! theSAGE
You know, the funny thing is that given Yao's high shooting percentage, it's LESS RISKY than it first appears. With more shots, Yao will discover more about what he can and can't do for this team. I have just as much confidence with Yao taking ten shots as SF. Heck, I probably put my money on Yao. Turnovers are a product of slow decision-making. What better way to give Yao REAL practice time with speeding up these decisions than by feeding him on consecutive possessions during crunch time??? Yao's already shown the ability to get to the free throw line. How much of a risk is it to let him take center stage when it counts??? But alas, Yao might as well be doing the safety dance out there theSAGE
As you allude to here, Yao's relatively high shooting percentage is MISLEADING. One word -- turnovers. Too often, he gets the ball knocked out of his hands and turns it over. But I agree, the best way to learn is through real game experiences. Those are mistakes he'll actually get to learn from. But he needs the ball in his hands.
Totally... You know, I think it's precisely the turnovers that have giving Yao a case of insecurity. In the instances where I've seen Yao turn the ball over, it's either: 1) someone from the backside strips him 2) he turns with the ball in front and his defender strips him. 3) he gets a rebound but can't hold on b/c someone strips him. My advice: KEEP THE BALL HIGH, ELBOWS OUT. Even in the low post, Yao can turn and get good looks w/o bringing the ball down. Be like the Rock and Stand tall big man!!!! theSAGE
So he's not ready yet.Look I am all for sendin Yao tapes of Hakeem from the ole days and send him to pete Norwell Big Man Camp.YAO IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, DO WHAT HAKEEM DOES AT GAME AIGHT.I GOT FAITH IN YOU BIG MAN
Please, tell me why I'm a Yao hater. I said "Yao will be a taller better version of Rik Smits", and I think that I'm about correct in that accessment. Rik Smits was a very decent player. He was soft, like Yao, but not ineffective. Rik was a great shooter, nice passer and an underrated defender. And Rik did have post moves. In fact, Yao should probably study some tapes of Smits' up and under move, which was very effective in his days. Like I said, Rik was one of the most important pieces on that Indiana team that pushed Jordan's bulls to the brink. My point is that the Rockets have to accept Yao for who is: a skilled, soft, big and unathletic player who (1) will not a superstar (2) is not best fit to play in the low post. Like I said, Yao will be much more effective if we can put him in the high post with a true work horse PF in the low post. And I stick to my stance that Yao doesn't deserve a max contract. As a matter of fact, neither did Steve. I didn't just say that because of the loss. I've been saying that all along.
I think yao is ready but he no longer has the confidence or motivatian. This could be because of his teamates or other reasons. I know he is ready by just looking at some of the games he had; like that detroit game where he went for i think 22 points and 20 boards. Somehting is clearliy bothering him or maybe he is fatigued.
